Chapter 8

The latent period ended abruptly. The outbreak exploded.

I kept watch through a gap in the curtains.

At six PM, as commuters returned home, a man walking through the complex, head down texting, suddenly dropped his phone. He fell stiffly to the ground. His body trembled, convulsed. A murky liquid oozed from his nose and mouth. An elderly woman hesitated for a moment, then approached, bending down, probably to ask if he needed help.

The man suddenly flipped over, grabbed the old woman, and began savagely biting her. The old woman didn't even have time to cry out. The ground was stained red with blood; limbs were brutally torn loose. Even from this height, I could almost smell the nauseating metallic tang!

Trembling, I dialed the police. "Someone's attacking residents at Guijin Complex! Please..."

Chaotic sounds. No answer. The call disconnected.

Fire department? Ambulance? Busy signals.

I clutched my phone, at a loss. Had a tier-four city like ours lost control so completely?!

The old woman had been out with her grandson. The child wailed in terror. The zombie, still chewing, a finger dangling from its mouth, shambled towards the child. I knew I wasn't superhuman. I couldn't rush out to save him. But watching him be devoured alive was... A figure flashed past, scooped up the child, and dashed into the building unit. The zombie slammed hard against the security door!

All I saw was the guy's shockingly bright red mullet haircut.

Half an hour later, all channels broke into programming. Weibo exploded with headlines.

​​"Breaking: Multiple aggressive attack cases of unknown origin reported nationwide. Patients exhibit biting, scratching, extreme aggression. Investigation ongoing. Government advises halting work and school. Follow community instructions to shelter at home. Renowned epidemiologist Professor Li joins us to analyze this new outbreak..."​​

Mom and Dad were stunned by the carnage below. They sighed heavily, turning away, heartsick, and pulled me into a hug. "Don't look outside anymore."

"We have to survive," Mom said, her voice unusually soft for someone usually so fiery.

I felt icy cold all over. Only the warmth of my parents' backs felt real.

"We must survive."